Facebook Kristy and Kenneth Manzanares.
Kristy Manzanares had many things going for her. She was a popular real estate agent of luxury properties in Utah. She was a mother of three and a school volunteer. She was well-liked for her nice demeanor and talent with design.
Sadly, her life ended tragically on a family cruise ship vacation.
Authorities accuse her husband, Kenneth Manzanares, of murdering his 39-year-old wife as the couple sailed with their children on an Emerald Princess Cruise ship to Alaska.
FacebookKristy Manzanares.
The Utah couple’s relationship ruptured in tragedy in a horrific scene in which witnesses described hearing screaming before one man allegedly tried to wrestle Kristy’s bloody body from her husband and a hysterical child was inconsolable in the hall.
GoFundMeKristy Manzanares.
A GoFundMe page has been created to raise money to help the three girls. “Kristy was a smart, kind, beautiful woman that had so much to live for. She had three beautiful daughters that she loved more than anything,” the site reads. “Everything she did was for the girls. She wanted so much for them and was only concerned with their happiness. Kristy was always thoughtful and was loved by so many. Her children loved her more than anything, she meant the world to them. She was a hard worker who who made her busy schedule work around the needs of her girls. Kristy’s life was tragically taken July 25, 2017. Kristy died a great distance away and her family needs to get her home. Please help the family with her final expenses and to help her 3 beautiful children.”
FacebookA photo from Kristy’s Facebook page.
The cruise ship left Seattle on July 23 for a seven-day round-trip cruise and had left Ketchikan, Alaska on July 25. One of the couple’s three children even posted a photo of the ship before the family left on it.
FacebookKristy and Kenneth Manzanares,
“The death forced the crew to divert the ship to Juneau,” CBS reported.
Some passengers thought the death was a hoax at first because it occurred as a Murder Mystery dinner was happening elsewhere in the ship, according to CBS.
FacebookKristy and Kenneth Manzanares with their family.
Kristy was a popular realtor in Utah.
Because the ship was sailing off the coast of Alaska, the FBI is handling the case, and has filed a search warrant affidavit in federal court. Those documents provide a chilling glimpse into what authorities say happened on the Emerald Princess.
The federal court documents allege that Kenneth Manzanares was discovered with blood covering his hands and clothing in the couple’s cabin.
FacebookKristy Manzanares.
According to an affidavit filed in federal court in support of a search warrant, the FBI was first alerted to the tragedy when it received a telephone call on July 25 at about 10:13 p.m. from a company security officer for Holland America Group who “advised that there had been what appeared to be a homicide aboard the cruise ship Emerald Princess.”
FacebookA photo Kristy posted on Facebook.
On July 25, at about 9:03 p.m., Emerald Princess Security and Medical personnel responded to an incident in a cabin occupied by Kenneth Manzanares and Kristy, who is identified only as K.M. in the affidavit.
FacebookA friend wrote under this photo on Kristy Manzanares’ Facebook page, ” Kenny was never very good at driving…. “
The security officer advised that upon arriving at the cabin he “noticed blood on the hands and clothing of the occupant Kenneth Manzanares.” The security officer placed Kenneth in handcuffs and secured him in the adjoining cabin.
Other witnesses were already in the room. “Upon entering, they observed Kenneth Manzanares had blood on his hands and clothing. One of the witnesses… advised that when he entered the room he observed KM lying on the floor covered in blood.” The witness asked Kenneth Manzanares what had happened to which Kenneth allegedly replied, “She would not stop laughing at me.”
FacebookA photo posted on Facebook by one of the couple’s children.
Kristy “was found with a severe head wound in a room in which blood was spread throughout… on multiple surfaces. She was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 20 minutes later,” KTUU reported.
A witness told the FBI that the witness allegedly “observed Manzanares grab K.M.’s body and drag her toward the balcony” in the couple’s cabin.
Kenneth Manzanares has been charged with murder in the death. You can read the complaint here:
Here’s a search warrant affidavit in the case:
The witness “then grabbed the ankles of K.M.’s body and pulled her back into the cabin.” Shortly thereafter, cruise ship security entered the cabin and restrained Manzanares, the document says.
You can read more about Kristy and Kenneth Manzanares here:
